Song of the Day: A Place to Bury Strangers – In Your Heart

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is “In Your Heart” by A Place to Bury Strangers from the 2009 album Exploding Head on Mute.

Whether or not you believe the hype that they’re New York City’s “loudest band,” there’s no doubt A Place to Bury Strangers knows how to turn earsplitting noise into sonic bliss. Guitarist and singer Oliver Ackermann, who founded the recording space and music venue Death By Audio, also creates effects pedals under a company of the same name. Over time, Ackerman and partner NY guitarist Conboy, turned the made-to-order custom effects pedal company into a tight line of sought after pedals including Fuzz War, Interstellar Overdrive, Sound-Saw, and Soundwave Breakdown with clients including Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and U2’s The Edge.

Of course, these auditory experiments translate directly to APTBS’ sound. The new album, Exploding Head, is a further continuation of the path Akermann started on with Skywave, a band that received quite a bit of airplay on KEXP back in 2004. Now, supported by bassist Jono MOFO and drummer Jay Space, APTBS builds similar driving structures beneath layers of droning feedback, clicks, clangs, bangs and and sonic squalls, but the overall result is tighter and more focused. While obvious nods to 80’s bands like Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, The Jesus & Mary Chain, and My Bloody Valentine are all part of the fun, the new songs like “In Your Head” remain fresh through Ackermann’s ability to write memorable hooks and melodies that last far beyond the apparent chaos.

A Place to Bury Strangers is currently touring North America extensively with fellow noisemakers All the Saints, and, depending on what city you see them in, These Are Powers or Dead Confederate (a great lineup any way you look at it!). They’ll be in Seattle on October 19 at The Crocodile. Check their MySpace page for more dates. For now, here’s the official video for today’s Song of the Day: